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Fiyero had been quickly and quite haphazardly been moving around his suite in an attempt to finish packing his luggage, knowing he should have been doing this days ago.
A knock came at the door, only moments after that thought, to which he swiftly moved from his suitcase, to the door, unlocking it, and leaving it slightly ajar, before returning to his packing, knowing who would be on the other side.
“What? No, Hi Fae? How are you, Fae?” she teased as she came into the room. He could hear the shuffling of her feet and the thud of a suitcase, and he spun to face her. She stood near him with her hands on her hips, and a smirk danced on her lips, “I didn’t know six months together was going to change your manners, Yero.”
He smiled, understanding the chiding was her way of defusing the tension, he knew they were both feeling it, “Hi, Fae.”
She smiled as he pulled her into his arms for a moment, just holding her, “Hi, Yero.”
He gently pulled back from her, to finish packing as she spoke as he walked back into the space near his chests that contained clothes, “I already saw the carriage out front.”
He nodded, as he grabbed a few more things stuffing them into his suitcase, in a way he was sure Elphaba would chide him for later, wrinkling the clothes within. She had been packed for 2 days prior, knowing this is how Fiyero would be choosing to pack in the very last moments possible. He quickly snapped the locks of his luggage closed, quickly grabbing Elphaba’s hand as he passed by her, causing her to yelp in surprise as she was pulled out of the suite with him. The door closed behind them with a thud.
.
He tried to watch her on the carriage ride there, both of them rocking with the movement of the carriage. He knew her, and he knew she was good at hiding things from him, even prior to their relationship. He had tried to talk to her about anything that she may need to know for this visit, but he honestly wasn’t sure if he had missed anything. He stretched his shoulders and neck for a moment, “Why are you so nervous?” he thought to himself.
Whether he wanted to admit it or not, this was a huge step. No prior relationship had ever made it to this stage. He had written to them, that fateful night six months ago, to asking them, begging them, to just give him a bit more time. He told them of how he had finally told the girl he had feelings for, about how he felt. But she wasn’t someone to move fast, so he need the time to convince her, and quite frankly himself, that they could work out as a couple.
They had replied, offering to give them until the summer’s semesters break to come and visit the Vinkus, together. He knew this much grace was probably due to his mother, she was the romantic at heart. Even when Magnus seemed to be set in his ways, Ada could usually persuade him, and for that, Fiyero was grateful. It gave her, and quite frankly himself, six months to settle into their relationship, before he knew what would be one of the biggest tests from here on out. Fiyero had just hoped, as well as he knew his mother, he hoped his father would act as a father first, and not a King, but he wasn’t counting on it. He could only watch Elphaba watching out the window of the carriage, taking in his homeland. He knew this ride well, and he knew they’d be reaching the castle soon. He could only hope it would go well, knowing just how much was riding on this visit. They could veto their relationship, if they wanted to. This visit was going to either make them stronger as a couple, or break them.
.
As the carriage came to a stop, Fiyero made sure to help Elphaba out, after himself, offering her a hand to steady herself as she walked down the steps to the ground below. It was only as he took her hand, he could feel a vibration coming from it. Was it her magic thrumming? He waited until she took her hand back from him, to study it. No, it wasn’t magic. It was her hand physically shaking. Elphaba wasn’t one to be scared of much, but Fiyero determined that it was probably dawning on her, just how real this was, and just how much was riding on this. He turned to her, “Fae?”
It was then when she turned, her name bringing him back into her gaze, that he could see it. The tears pricking at the edge of her eyes, though she wouldn’t dare to let them fall. The hand still shaking, though she now held it to herself, attempting to stop it. He could see the uneven breaths she was taking.
This very thing had happened just weeks ago, when he had received the letter, informing him that they were expecting him and Elphaba on this trip, which had panicked her. So now, in front of the castle, he did the very thing that he had done in his suite that night, the one thing he knew he could do to help.
“Fae…” she brought her gaze up to him, and he placed his forehead to hers. He brought her hands up to his chest, and held his own over hers. She closed her eyes, and he kept his open, watching her. They were lost to the world around them, to him, all that mattered to him was calming her.
He watched as he could slowly see her breathing even out, unpanicked now. She left her hands there for a moment longer, feeling his heartbeat, following the rise and fall on his chest. She slowly looked her eyes up to his, which were already watching her, “Thank you” she admitted, defeatedly. He shook his head, “Of course, but you don’t need to thank me.”
She was the one now shaking her head, no, she meant it every time that he did the very thing he knew she needed, always without even having to ask. She was extremely grateful to him, each time and every time, “Are you ready?”
She looked for a moment to the large castle, which now seemed even bigger than when they had begun to approach it, and turned back to Fiyero, “Is now a bad time to say no?” she asked, nervously. He could only let out a small laugh as he brought her close to her side as they began to walk towards the guards and doors of Fiyero’s home.
.
What the couple hadn’t seen lost into their own world, one grounding the other, was the two faces watching them in a window, the glass distorting their faces slightly from the outside. They had been watching them from the moment the carriage had begun to pull up the long drive.
Ada turned to Magnus, noticing his posture, and sighed, placing a hand on his arm, “Magnus, they’re-“ she paused, and waited a moment before continuing, “Magnus, do we really need to still go along with the plan? I, we, can obviously see he is much different than before…”
But Magnus, just kept his posture the same, and Ada knew this is one that she couldn’t talk him out of, “No, Ada. I need to be sure. I promise I won’t go to war on the boy, or whatever you believe I’m going to do…”
Ada let a sad smile onto her lips, “I just know how these kinds of things have gone down in the past Magnus. You mean to come across as a father, and the King part comes out too much. You both have tempers, and it ends up turning into a yelling match, which I frankly think, doesn’t help a damn thing.”
Magnus turned his attention away from the window, and to Ada, at the tone of her voice, “Ada…”
She shook her head, “You’ll take Fiyero to your study as usual. I’ll take Elphaba to the parlor with me, in the hopes of actually learning about her.” She gave him a pointed look before she turned away from him, going towards the foyer to meet the couple. Magnus, just stood there for a moment, thinking about his decision, was Ada, right?
He then followed behind her.
.
Elphaba had been overwhelmed just as much, being the foyer with Fiyero. This room alone was huge, with the tallest ceilings she thought she has ever seen, and she couldn’t even begin to fathom, just how large the castle itself was, if this was just an entry way. She could hear footsteps begin to echo down the hallway to her right, and she could see them, Fiyero’s parents approaching.
Pleasantries were exchanged, Fiyero introducing her and the likewise, and Ada had struck up some small conversation with Elphaba, before Magnus decided, he was still going along with the plan, “Son, shall we go up to my study?”
Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged a look. While it sounded like a question, they both knew better. It was a statement, and it was one Fiyero had warned her could happen. He knew they could go for a divide and conquer plan, though he had hoped they wouldn’t. He was just relieved that it would be his mother that Elphaba was with.
Ada, gently and with grace, scooped her arm into Elphaba’s, leading her away from the foyer, “Let’s go talk and learn more about each other in the parlor, while they talk in Magnus’ study?”
Elphaba looked behind her to Fiyero as they walked, and he reassuringly nodded to her, as they walked further away.
.
Elphaba took in the small, and quite charming parlor Ada had taken her to. She noticed it was much smaller than the foyer, and it was a welcome addition. Just being of a more regularly sized room, it put her slightly more at ease without Fiyero.
Ada noted the green girl, taking in the room around her, and smiled, “I like this room too,” Elphaba startled slightly at her words, but then settled on a smile, “It’s one of the smaller rooms of the castle, but I personally like it. It’s quaint, and I think that’s what gives it it’s charm.” She settled with, and Elphaba nodded in agreeance.
They settled into a comfortable silence for a moment, both holding a teacup that servants had brought into the room for them, before they could faintly hear raised voices from above then.
Ada shook her head for a moment, knowing whose voices they were, before she turned to Elphaba, “So, Fiyero has told me some about you, but I never know when that boy is exaggerating or not, so why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself?”
Elphaba nodded, holding her teacup tightly within her hands, “I’m originally from Munchkinland. I’m Thropp Third Descending, but the Eminency, I’m not heir to it. My sister, Nessarose, she is to be the one to take it over eventually. I don’t think I’m the one that should be ruling…” she trailed off.
“You don’t believe that you should be ruling?” Ada questioned. Elphaba then realized how that answer could sound, and tried to recover it, “I mean with Munchkinland. I may be from there by birth, but I’ve never really fit in there, and never felt like I belonged. Nessa is much more involved, and liked within our people.” She settled on.
Ada nodded, “And Shiz? I don’t believe Fiyero shared what you are majoring or minoring in?”
Elphaba nodded, “I’m majoring in Political Sciences, and I’m minoring in-“ she stopped herself for a moment, could she tell Ada? She figured if this visit went well, she’d find out soon enough. The more truth told, the less lies to remember, “Sorcery.”
Ada turned her head to the side, “Sorcery? Does that mean you-“
Elphaba nodded, “Yes. I did wonder if Fiyero had neglected to mention that. I do; I have magical abilities. But I don’t have much control on them, yet. They randomly do what they wish, usually when emotions are intense. I’m only minoring in Sorcery to learn to control them, or at least attempt to.”
Ada nodded, “I do believe Fiyero had mentioned something about a vision, or visions before, but I didn’t think he that he had meant magical ones. I apparently stand corrected.”
Elphaba looked to her for any reaction to learning about her magic, any ill reaction, but she was still just greeted with the same warm expression as before.
“Do you get them often, the visions, I mean?”
Elphaba shook her head, “I don’t get them often, but sometimes that’s a good thing.” She finished, almost sadly, wincing, and Ada noted the look on her face, “It’s a good thing?” she gently pressed, seeing if the green girl would open up to her more, it was obvious that something that had happened in a vision had upset her.
Elphaba gently placed her teacup from her hands, down to the table in front of her, thinking about how she could reveal what she had seen to Ada, without revealing more than she wished to, “I had one the day that you and Magnus had written to Fiyero. I found him in one of the courtyards, stressing out over the letter, and we talked for a while. I could tell it was bothering him, and I didn’t know how else to comfort him. We weren’t more than friends, at that point. So, I just reached over and took his hand in mine.”
She paused, looking for Ada’s reaction, but was only met with sincerity and worry, “It threw me into a vision. I sometimes collapse when they happen, I assume it’s because of how much of my magic it uses up, and luckily that time Fiyero caught me… When I came back to from it, he asked me what had happened in it, and I told him parts of it because he seemed so worried, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him all of it.”
She stopped, and Ada noted the green girl had become slightly more emotional than she had seen yet, whether it was anger, or sadness, she couldn’t tell, “What did you see? If you’re willing to share with me, that is. It seems like you need to get something off your chest.”
Elphaba paused, and looked to Ada, she felt as if she could trust her, but she had to promise one thing first, “If I tell you; you cannot tell Fiyero.”
Ada gently took Elphaba’s hands into her own, making sure she knew she could trust her, “I would never tell Fiyero anything you didn’t want me to.”
Elphaba nodded before recounting the vision, explaining how her visions tended to be hazy, only revealing what it wants her to see or hear. She recounted how he was the only clear thing within it, and that she could only tell from his clothes, and the way sounded seemed to echo off the walls, that it seemed to be a cathedral of sorts that he was in within it. Ada nodded, she must have been seeing the cathedral that she and Magnus had been married in, and where one day Fiyero would wed his bride, “I think I know where it was showing you, though, I don’t know how you would even know what that looks like.”
Elphaba nodded, “My thoughts exactly, but that’s the best way to describe it, and it was our best guess when I explained it to Fiyero. It definitely seemed to a wedding, or some kind of large event.” She paused, “I was able to touch him, within the vision. That has never happened before, and it looked like he could see me, and he was able to speak to me, another new addition to my visions. I’m usually a bystander in them, watching as it happens around me, unable to change anything.”
Ada nodded, and then took in her words, ‘He could speak to you? What did he say?”
Elphaba turned her gaze down to her hands, now fidgeting with them in her lap, “He told me… He told me she wasn’t me.”
Ada turned her head, confused, and Elphaba clarified, “Whoever he was marrying. Whoever he could see at the doors that I couldn’t, he said it wasn’t me.”
Ada’s eyes widened slightly, before she thought about it for a moment, “This was the day he received our letter? Before you two even knew of feelings for each other?”
Elphaba confirmed, “Yes. It was only moments after that vision that we did actually say anything, worried we’d lose each other forever if we didn’t. He said it first.”
Ada smiled, knowing her son well, before continuing, “You said he doesn’t know everything about the vision?”
Elphaba met Ada’s gaze, before nodding, “Yes. He asked me, once he knew that the letter had said to find a suitable match himself or you two would arrange one, he asked if in the vision, if he at least looked happy,” She paused, a shaky breath escaping her lips, “I couldn’t bring myself to tell him, Ada. Maybe my silence was enough of an answer, but he wasn’t. He wasn’t happy at all. That spark, that light that dances in his eyes; I know you see it just as much as I do. It was gone. There was no trace of it. They were empty.”
Ada could only watch, as Elphaba tried to not let her resolve crumble. Whatever she had seen in this vision, this version of Fiyero, she could tell it scared her deeply. She couldn’t even bring herself to look Ada in the eyes after. She wasn’t saying it to make her pity her or Fiyero, but that version of Fiyero, she hoped she’d never see it in her lifetime. It broke her heart, and not many things could do that.
It was Ada’s voice that pulled her back from her thoughts, “Then we don’t let it happen.”
Her gaze whipped up to meet Ada’s, where she found her already looking where Elphaba sat. Elphaba went to speak, but what could she say, “What do you mean?”
“Elphaba, if this version of Fiyero, this one that your vision showed you, affects you this deeply that I can see it almost terrifying you, to ever see that version come true, I already know just from that alone on how much you care for him. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have hidden it from him. It wouldn’t hurt you this much to recount it, unless you care deeply for him.” Ada concluded, grabbing the green girl’s hands once again. She looked into Elphaba’s eyes for any doubt, but she found none, “I’m done with this nonsense. We are going up there to save him from his father. I’ll deal with Magnus.”
With that Ada pulled Elphaba up with her from the couch they had been on, and directed her out of the room to go find Fiyero. Ada was done with this nonsense that Magnus had stuck in his head. She could hear the voices, raising more the closer they got to the study, hoping she wasn’t too late.
.
When Ada swung the door open, she and Elphaba took in the scene before them, both men having froze where they were, by the sudden interruption. Both of them were standing on each side of the desk, their hands on top, leaning towards the other, arguing. They were both paused, looking towards the door, where the women stood.
Elphaba met her gaze to Fiyero’s first, and she saw him slightly soften at the sight of her, when his mother looked to him over her shoulder, “Sit.”
Surprisingly, Fiyero immediately found himself moving to sit on the cushioned bench behind him, at his mother’s sharp words. He knew better than to go against her, if she was willing to challenge Magnus right now. She gently laid a hand on the small of Elphaba’s back, scooting her towards Fiyero, “Sweetheart, go with Fiyero.” Elphaba nodded and did as Ada asked.
Fiyero could only shoot her a look, one that said, “What is going on”, before he noticed Ada had turned to face Magnus now, who was still standing behind the desk, looking shocked at the intrusion.
He was quite impressed with his mother at the moment. She didn’t usually dare to interrupt when the two had gotten in these arguments. Usually, Fiyero just rode it out himself, having the same temper as his father, matching whatever was sent his way. They hadn’t gotten far before the yelling had begun, mostly on Magnus’ end, and Fiyero fueled the fire.
Ada kept her gaze blazing on Magnus, arms crossed, who now returned the same gaze to her, daring her to continue, “We could hear you from downstairs, while I was trying to have a lovely conversation with Miss Elphaba. I was actually learning quite a lot about her and her character, who she is, besides knowing that she’s the girl that our son has feelings for. How far did you get into your conversation, dear?”
Even Elphaba had to winced at Ada’s tone, it was one of a challenge, knowing full well the men had gotten nowhere in their conversation, besides yelling at each other. Fiyero turned to look at Elphaba, wondering why his mother had suddenly decided to go against his father’s plan, but she just shook her head, and slide her hand into his down beside in the space between them, watching his parents in front of them.
Ada raised an eyebrow, waiting, “Well? What did you find out from Fiyero, about Elphaba, in the time you two were up here, jabbering?”
Magnus could only look shocked at Ada, sputtering on his words before realizing that she was right. He hadn’t figure out anything about the couple or their compatibility. She raised an eye to him, “Exactly. This is why I tried to warn you that your plan was going to backfire. This is why I had suggested we should all sit together, and find out about them, from both of them together.”
Magnus didn’t want to admit it, but Ada was beginning to back him into a corner, one he couldn’t justify getting himself out of.
“Where is Elphaba from?” Ada asked and waited for a response, before Magnus couldn’t give one, “She’s from Munchkinland.”
“What is she studying at Shiz?” she asked, hardly waiting for Magnus to respond, knowing again he couldn’t, “She’s majoring in Political Sciences, while minoring in Sorcery, because, you see, she has powers. Ones that she’s had since she was young, and she’s minoring in Sorcery to learn to control them. They sometimes give her visions, sometimes of the future.” Ada was just getting started, and Fiyero watched dumbfounded. What could Elphaba have revealed that would be making his mother help their side so much?
He realized that she had mentioned the visions, and he looked to Elphaba, who nodded, confirming she had told his mother about the one she had the day of the letter.
Magnus still hadn’t spoken a word since Elphaba and Ada’s entrance, though Ada wasn’t really giving him anytime to respond on purpose, “If you had only taken the time to speak with Fiyero in the same way I was speaking with Elphaba, you’d already have known all of that by the time we came up here, when all we could hear was your shouting all the way downstairs. Do you know how loud one has to be arguing to hear them through castle walls?” Magnus decided in the moment, that he could at the least look sheepish, Ada wasn’t wrong. He had done the very thing she had told him not to do. To not act as a King first, but as a father.
Ada held up one more finger to him, admitting she had one more thing up her sleeve, “Do you know what Fiyero’s worst fear is?”
Magnus thought for a moment, there was many things he believed Fiyero to be afraid of, but the way Ada challenged it, he assumed it to be something he didn’t know. She continued, “Because just in the short time of knowing her,” She looked towards the green girl, warmly, before turning back to Magnus, “I know what Elphaba’s is.”
Elphaba’s eyes quickly looked to Fiyero, before looking to Ada’s direction, remembering their conversation downstairs, “I would never tell Fiyero anything you didn’t want me to”, and she trusted her. She trusted Ada to get through to Magnus without revealing the full extent of the vision, though after this, it may come to light.
Magnus turned to Ada, “No. I do not know what Fiyero’s worst fear is.”
“I’m sure, knowing our son, his is the exact same as hers.”
Fiyero was now staring to his mother, and he knew she knew. It was then that their voices blended, answering at the exact same moment.
“Losing him.”
“Losing her.”
Ada turned to Magnus, knowing this final piece would be what would have him admit defeat to her, “Magnus, he looks at her the same way you look at me, and we both know it.”
Elphaba could only stare to Fiyero, having heard his answer mix with his mother’s, he shrugged, “It’s true. My worst fear is losing you.” He squeezed her hand in his, and placed a kiss onto her temple, not even caring it was in front of his parents.
And that was when it happened, again, by his touch. He caught her once again upon reflex, “Fae!”
.
She tried to blink the hazy away, but it wasn’t as thick as before. She looked around, trying to place where it had landed her this time.
It definitely wasn’t the cathedral this time. It wasn’t at all like the last time. She spun, hoping maybe if she moved quickly, it could dissipate the smoke like haze. She decided to keep moving from the spot it had placed her in. The past visions never progressed if she didn’t move. She began to walk down the hallway it had placed her in, and she tried to squint through it to look for any clues. It was only when her boots seemed to clip, and clop like a horse’s hooves, that she looked down to the flooring beneath her. The same flooring she had just walked on today. It was the cobblestone of the castle’s flooring. Why was it placing her in the very place that she was already in, in the present. The smoke began to clear slightly beside her. She turned to take in what it revealed, portraits. She hadn’t seen these in the present, yet. It didn’t let her see many, excepted for two.
She immediately recognized the faces, Ada and Magnus. Ada stood behind Magnus, who was seated, both in their complete royal robes. It was an official portrait. They looked happy. It was definitely prior to the current present they were in, as they looked slightly younger. Elphaba decided it must have been done shortly after his coronation, or their wedding. The vision, then began to unblur a space beside theirs. Before stopping just shy of it, only revealing part of the engravement below it, reading “King Fiyero and-“
There the haze stopped her vision to read the rest, and she let out a noise of frustration that seemed to boom, and echo off the walls, “Why?! Why show me any of this when I can never see the whole picture! Is this some kind of cruel joke?!”
It was only as she had yelled out into the world, and that the haze re-captured the name plate into the smoke, and a different space cleared. If she had blinked, she could have missed it, but her ears wouldn’t have. She looked down, and caught the haze of a small silhouette running by her, giggling. The un-mistakeable sound of a child laughing, however eerily her vision had made it sound. It was like the last, everything seemed to move in slow motion. She turned, trying to watch for where the little shadow ran, seeing a large figure, scooping up the shadow child, and they still giggled as they were held. It was only when she began to walk closer to the larger figure, that it began to clear. It was him; it was Fiyero. And she could only hold her breath when she took him in, his eyes. They were his eyes, not the broken, empty ones from the prior vision. They still danced with the spark that she knew, and loved. His didn’t leave hers, as he smiled towards her. It was the happiest she had ever seen him look. It was even beyond the happiness from the day she turned around to admit that she shared the same feelings for him.
She searched his eyes, not believing it after the last time. But they stayed the same, they didn’t fade, they didn’t lose the spark. She walked closer, only to find that he started to disappear again into the first shadowy figure she had seen him as, and she paused, hoping to keep them there longer. His smile was the last thing to fade away.
She could tell by the way that she shadows moved, they had both turned towards her, though she couldn’t see their faces. She lifted her own hand to wave to them, not wanting them to disappear. They too lifted their hands, waving back, and her vision allowed her to hear one last thing, before she could feel it beginning to pull her back to reality:
The small shadow within Fiyero’s arms spoke, still giggling, “Hi, Mama.”